Forget Me Not
by The Ambitious Blank
Summary: Complete! Sasuke willingly dies to help remove the demon fox from Naruto, without having confessed the feelings he had. Naruto must now struggle with those around him, and the feelings within himself. (Sasunaru, death, angst.)
1. Dahlia, Instability

  
**Forget Me Not**   
**By The Ambitious Blank**   
****   
**Disclaimer- **Naruto doesn't belong to me. ^^;   
**Comments- **Decided the world needed more Naruto angst, even if it meant adding yet another Narusasu/Sasunaru to the mix of the thousands there are already. Pfft, oh well. ^_^ Death, angst, cursing, shounen-ai, you know the drill. Naruto and Sasuke are fifteen in this fic.. Orochimaru has been defeated, Sasuke's curse seal has been removed upon Orochi's death, and Tsunade has become 5th Hokage. (I think she does later on, but I'm not that far in the manga or the episodes yet, don't tell me what happens! .!)   
  
Chapters are named for flowers.. I looked up the flower meanings doing a search on google. ^^; In case you're curious.   
  
~*~**Chapter 1- Dahlia, "Instability"**   
****   
It had been three days.   
  
Three days since Naruto and Sasuke had stumbled back into the village, Naruto hanging off Sasuke's shoulder like a dead thing. Both boys were covered in blood, though they by some miracle, had stayed alive. Their mission had been to eliminate the threat of Sasuke's brother, Itachi, and eliminate him they had, after a long and fierce fight. Sasuke had buried the body before they'd left to go back to the village, leaving nothing but a kunai jammed deep into a tree to mark the grave.   
  
"He doesn't deserve much more than that." Sasuke had said gruffly before they'd headed back to Konoha. Naruto had collapsed several times on the way back, which concerned him.. before the fight had erupted, Naruto had been kidnapped by Sasuke's older brother, and had said something about Itachi partially removing a seal. He said that Sasuke had interrupted him when the younger Uchiha had burst through the window in a shower of shattered glass. In Naruto's half-conscious state, he'd seen the dark-haired boy as an angel, carried in by wings made of crystalline droplets.   
  
But, alas, it had only been Sasuke.   
  
_Close enough._ Naruto remembered thinking in his almost delirious state. Sasuke had defeated Itachi after a long, drawn-out, bloody battle, and eventually had defeated him by slicing at his eyes, disabling Itachi's Sharingan, and then cleanly slitting his throat. Sasuke had buried him quickly and escaped with Naruto, heading back to the village. Naruto had collapsed on the way, and Sasuke, concerned by this, had hoisted the blonde up onto his back and begun to carry him, taking small leaps and bounds to quicken the pace. Naruto rememberd an angry voice echoing in his mind.   
  
_Why does he carry me like I'm some helpless pup?! I am stronger than he'll ever be!_   
  
Sudden anger had risen up in Naruto like lava about to explode from a volcano. He remembered identifying that voice as that of the Kyuubi sealed within him, remembered his nails digging into Sasuke's shoulders. Remembered the cry of pain that ensued from this, remembered _enjoying_ that cry of pain, then being disgusted with himself for doing so. He'd blacked out soon after that.   
  
Naruto had woken up in a hospital bed. He'd looked over at Sasuke, who was lying in a bed a few feet away, then noticed that he couldn't sit up to go over there. His wrists and ankles were strapped to the bed.   
  
Under normal circumstances, Naruto would have kicked and screamed and done all he could to get out of those bonds. But his clear blue eyes remained on Sasuke. The Uchiha boy was covered with wounds.. wounds that Naruto knew Sasuke didn't have when he'd last seen him. There was slashes all over his face, chest, arms, and judging by the red stain on the sheets, also on his back. One eye had been clawed shut, and his forehead protector was cracked just slightly in a few places. His shirt had been torn to mere ribbons. Blood soaked his body, fresher than that of Itachi's. Sasuke's own. Naruto's mind slowly came upon the realization of what had happened.   
  
A scream echoed through the hallways of the hospital, reverberating against the pale walls.   
  
~*~   
  
"So what happened?" A concerned Iruka questioned Hatake Kakashi quietly. The Jounin frowned. Both of them flinched as they heard the yell, and Iruka was highly tempted to turn and run back to Naruto's hospital room, but a stern look from Kakashi kept him in place.   
  
"Apparently, the demon fox has been awakened in Naruto." Kakashi began, slowly, as if expecting to be hit if he spoke the truth. "Even more so than before. While Sasuke was bringing him back here, the fox gained control of Naruto's body and attacked him. I have to go make a report to Tsunade-sama. Try not to fuss over Naruto too much.. I'm not sure the medical personnel need any more help." With a small smile, Kakashi vanished, and Iruka sighed, turning to head back down the hallway.   
  
~*~   
  
Iruka cautiously stepped into the room where Naruto was. The boy lay almost completely still, but his eyes were open, focused upon the boy beside him.   
  
"Sasuke.." His voice was heartbroken, something that Iruka had never heard in Naruto's tone of voice before. Iruka cleared his throat slightly, and Naruto turned, blinking.   
  
"Iruka-sensei.." He sounded vaguely surprised, and Iruka offered a small smile.   
  
"You should be grateful to Sasuke.. he managed to bring you here even though you injured him." He said. Naruto flinched and turned away. Iruka bit his lip. Wrong thing to say.   
  
"What I mean is that he saved you, Naruto.. you shouldn't be so sad. He's still alive, you know.. barely, but he is. I'm not sure how you two always manage to just scrape yourselves out of these situations." The man laughed quietly, and Naruto managed a small smile this time, but that vanished quickly.   
  
"Iruka-sensei.. what happened? Did.. did I attack Sasuke? Was it the fox?" Naruto's voice got a little higher and higher pitched as he asked each question. Iruka fidgeted. He hated having to bring bad news to the blonde boy.   
  
"Yes, Naruto. It was the fox. That's.. why you're tied down. The seal that kept it within you was almost completely removed.. luckily, it seems Sasuke was able to stop Itachi before he could get it off all the way, so the fox cannot completely escape." Iruka stepped over, putting a hand on Naruto's forehead comfortingly. "It's a good thing you've got such a strong will, Naruto." He smiled. Naruto nodded, his glance shifting back over to Sasuke for a brief moment. His eyes studied the wounds that lacerated his teammate's body, the overpowering smell of blood filled the room.   
  
_Blood. His blood. I caused him_ pain.   
__   
The voice of the fox echoed in Naruto's mind. Naruto's eyes widened.  
  
"Iruka-sensei! Get ba--rrrr.." Naruto's voice was cut off as a growl replaced it, rising in tone. Iruka, surprised, jerked backwards. Naruto let loose a full-out snarl, saliva flying from his mouth as he struggled futilely against the bonds that held him.   
  
"WHAT'S THIS?!" The voice shouted. Iruka knew that wasn't Naruto's voice. Naruto's eyes, suddenly blood red, turned to him, and Iruka flinched again, knowing he was staring into the eyes of the demon fox.   
  
"YOU! RELEASE THESE BONDS IMMEDIATELY, OR I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" He shrieked. Iruka sighed. There was nothing he could do. He turned and left the hospital room, the fox screaming threats at him all the way down the hallway.   
  
~*~**Two Weeks Later...**   
**__**   
"_RELEASE ME_!! I SWEAR, I'LL DESTROY ALL YOU DAMN HUMANS!!" Naruto's yells could be heard all along that floor of the hospital. Sasuke stared into the window of the room where he was being kept, alone, strapped to his bed. The blonde strained against the straps that held him, foaming at the mouth, shrieking. Another one of Naruto's "episodes".. rather, the small periods of time the demon fox could take full control of Naruto's body. Sasuke sighed, pressing his forehead against the window, watching several scared-looking nurses approach the fox and inject more drugs into Naruto's arm, making him fall still.   
  
It had become routine by now. Naruto would warn them when the fox was about to awaken again, and then he'd begin kicking and screaming curses at them. It wasn't a pretty sight. They'd gotten a few visitors, the fox had even awoken when Sakura came to see them both, and she'd run out of the room, terrified, when the fox began describing to her all the ways he'd kill her.   
  
Sasuke sighed again, turning to begin walking toward the building where the Hokage's office was. He'd been summoned to make a full report of Itachi's death, now that most of his wounds were healed. He knew he'd probably get a few scars out of this one, but he decided that a few scars was better than a new gravestone in the cemetary.   
  
The long, winding stairs seemed endless, and finally Sasuke reached the top, pausing at the first doorway in the hallway, thinking he heard Tsunade's voice coming from the room. It had been left open, and Tsunade sat before the group of ninjas gathered there. Sasuke caught sight of Kakashi right away among the Jounins, and Iruka standing with the Chuunins that were there. Sasuke listened in to what the Hokage was saying.   
  
"I'm sorry to have called you all here so abruptly. But, we have some interesting news.. after some extensive research, we have found a way to remove the demon fox from Naruto, without having to harm him in any way." She said. Sasuke's eyes widened. Remove the fox? Without hurting Naruto? There had to be some sort of catch.   
  
"It seems too easy." Kurenai voiced Sasuke's concerns for him. "What do we have to do?"   
  
Tsunade fell silent for a moment, and the whole room became uneasy. Sasuke felt his stomach churn uncomfortably.   
  
"..we need a human sacrifice." She said, quietly. "Because Naruto relies on the fox's chakra to remain alive during a fight.. the sacrifice will have to give up their chakra. All of it. Which means.. they'll die. The sacrifice doesn't have to be any of you.. and you, Iruka." She turned to the Chuunin, scowling. "It cannot be you. We need you to keep teaching at the Academy."   
  
Sasuke wasn't sure what compelled him to do what he did next. He'd always had feelings for Naruto, something he'd never quite figured out. Somehow, Naruto would always drag him back down from whatever high horse he was on. Naruto was quite possibly one of the only ones who didn't hold Sasuke in some form of high respect, and for that, Sasuke respected Naruto. But, the fact remained that they were both boys, and they were also both shinobi. Which meant admitting one's feelings was out of the question. Sasuke's sole purpose in life was gone. Itachi was dead. The only thing he had left, really, was Naruto's friendship, something he'd hoped to make into something more.. and it seemed that this was the only way to have that accomplished without having to say a word himself.   
  
Heart thumping hard within his chest, Uchiha Sasuke stepped forward to acknowledge his fate.   
  
"I'll do it."   
  
~*~**To Be Continued...**   
****   
Whee! So there we go, my first Naruto fic. ^^ Next chapters will be longer, I promise! 


	2. Purple Hyacinth, Please Forgive Me

  
**Forget Me Not**   
**By The Ambitious Blank**   
****   
**Disclaimer**- Naruto doesn't belong to me. La la la~   
**Comments**- Whee, chapter 2. ^^ Thank you to my reviewers~   
  
~*~**Chapter 2- Purple Hyacinth, "Please Forgive Me"**   
****   
"I'll do it."   
  
All eyes in the room turned upon Sasuke. His heart was pounding in his chest. Despite being an Uchiha of famous renown throughout all the villages, he wasn't used to the prying eyes that turned upon him, all of them seeming to pierce through his very soul. Tsunade and Kakashi were by far the worst of all. Tsunade spoke first.   
  
"Don't be a fool, Uchiha. You can't possibly be the one to do this." She said, and Sasuke could read the clear apprehension on her face. He could read the thoughts on all their faces.   
  
_No one else will volunteer. Everyone has begun to respect Naruto.. but no one's willing to die for him just yet. And those that are willing.. can't. _ His eyes found the desperate face of Iruka, and though he could see Kakashi was struggling to appear unconcerned, there were clear worry lines in his face.   
  
"So tell me who's left, Tsunade-sama." Sasuke said, eyeing the woman's anxious face. "Kakashi-sensei might do it, but he can't, he still has more teams he has to lead. Iruka-sensei can't, he still has to teach at the Academy. Not many people, if any, in this village are willing to die for Naruto's sake.. surely, Sakura would be a good candidate, if I were the one who needed to be saved. She cares for Naruto, but she doesn't love him that much." Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly. "..what other choice do you have?"   
  
The Hokage seemed to deflate like a balloon. Kakashi and Iruka kept their eyes on Sasuke, while everyone else glanced away. It was true. Naruto had risen up several steps on the ladder of respect in the village than where he'd started out from, but he wasn't loved that much yet.   
  
"Then why you, Uchiha?" Tsunade asked. "You still have to pass your bloodline on."   
  
"My bloodline doesn't matter so long as the village is still standing." Sasuke answered swiftly. "If you want some of my blood so bad, take it before I die. See what you can do with it. I really don't give a damn."   
  
"Hokage-sama! Hokage-sama!!" A nurse came running in, her hair mussed, looking extremely stressed. All the eyes in the room turned away from Tsunade and Sasuke, and onto her. Sasuke was relieved, some of the pressure lifting away. Tsunade's brow furrowed even further.   
  
"What is it? What's wrong??"   
  
"It's.. it's Naruto, Hokage-sama! He's gotten worse! The seal's been almost completely thrown off, and he's broken free! We can't get him back down, we need your help!"   
  
Tsunade looked down, contemplating over this for a few moments, a quick few mutterings being emitted under her breath as she walked towards the door. Sasuke heard a few of them as she passed by, and he was quick to follow, along with Kakashi, Iruka, Asuma, and Kurenai. The rest of the Jounins and Chuunins stood, mildly confused.   
  
"..temporary seal should do it.. won't endanger anyone's life.." Tsunade murmured as she hurried after the nurse down the hallway. Sasuke looked at her, having to jog to keep up.   
  
"A temporary seal? You can do that?"   
  
"Yes, but it only lasts 24 hours, and it's not a permanent solution.. the fox will eventually find a way to break that, too." She said, breaking into a run, making Sasuke have to do the same to keep at her side.   
  
The group reached the room, and saw the state of disorder the place was in. Naruto had snapped the leather bonds on the bed that had held him, and was clawing at some of the doctors and nurses trying to catch him and get him back under control. No one had been killed yet, but the fox was advancing upon a nurse who had tripped and fallen sometime during the commotion. Tsunade rolled up her sleeves and and walked inside fearlessly, followed by Kakashi and Iruka.   
  
"Seal no Jutsu!" Tsunade cried, muttering a few other words under her breath afterward. Gold fire appeared around her fingertips, swirling around them as though alive. She ran up to a rather surprised Naruto. Kakashi dashed forward and held him still, earning a slash across his arm, but he managed to pull Naruto's shirt up, the spiral seal, now broken up into pieces, being revealed. The Hokage rushed forward, thrusting her hand forward and slamming it into the mark. Naruto let out a shriek of pain and was thrown backward by the force of the blast, hitting the ground with a sickening thud that made Sasuke wince as he watched from outside.   
  
The Uchiha's hands were pressed against the glass as he watched, his eyes slightly wider than normal. Naruto was lying on the ground, still except for his labored breathing. Tsunade looked exhausted, and had slumped back into the arms of Iruka. As the injured doctors and nurses hurried out to attend to their wounds, Sasuke pushed his way inside.   
  
"Naruto!" He ran over to the fallen boy, kneeling down beside him. Naruto didn't stir. Sasuke looked up to Tsunade, who sighed, managing to stand on her own.   
  
"He'll be fine. But.. Sasuke." She looked at him, her tone dead serious. Sasuke looked up at her, surprised at the honest concern that was written all over her expression.   
  
"You understand the consequences?" She continued. "You _will_ die, Sasuke, there's no other way around it."   
  
Sasuke turned away, staring at the floor off to the side, hands instinctively going to his pockets. Didn't they understand? Didn't they get it? When he'd said he'd do it, he meant every word. He knew what it meant. He knew he wouldn't survive it. But he also knew that there was no other way.   
  
"If.. if it's for Naruto, then I.." He trailed off. Tsunade gave a hopeless sigh.   
  
"I see." She said, saving him from finishing that sentence. "Young love really isn't something you can help, I guess." She laughed, softly, though only traces of humor were in it. "Very well, then. Naruto can stay at your house tonight, then. It'll be up to you whether you want to tell him what you're doing or not.. however, although it's ill-advised to keep something like this from him.. that might be for the better."   
  
"I understand." Sasuke said, nodding. "I won't tell him. He'd try to stop me."   
  
"Be careful. I'm sure that most of the other villagers know of this by now. Please, try to shelter him from it until the time comes. We will perform the ceremony tomorrow, at dawn. Please meet me in my office around five in the morning. Naruto we will retrieve ourselves a little while later." Tsunade said, getting a nod from Sasuke. She then looked to a nurse who had managed to escape without a wound.   
  
"You. Please, wait until Naruto awakens, and tell him he is supposed to stay with Sasuke at the Uchiha manor this evening." She ordered, then left the room to go attend to her other duties. The nurse nodded and sat down in a chair, relieved to be off her feet. Sasuke lifted Naruto into his arms and laid him on the bed, pulling a chair to the bedside and sitting down to wait.   
  
~*~   
  
Naruto stirred, his bright blue eyes cracking open carefully. There was a strange weight on the side of the bed he'd been placed in, and when he rolled over, he was met by a head of spiky, ebony-stranded hair, framing the pale face of a familiar boy. Sasuke looked almost ethereal, like a fallen angel from heaven, his wings clipped, the only thing tying him down. His long eyelashes folded delicately over his cheeks, as though they were afraid to make contact with the smooth skin. Naruto reached out, brushing his fingers over Sasuke's face, his fingertips moving tenderly across the pale flesh of the sleeping boy. He drew away quickly, ashamed of himself, wondering what might have caused him to do such a thing. Boys weren't supposed to like boys. Shinobi in general were not supposed to fall in love.   
  
_Damn you, Sasuke. Damn you. I'm supposed to hate you._   
__   
"Naruto-san?[1]"   
  
Naruto jerked in surprise, rolling over to face the nurse, who was sitting in a chair across the room. She smiled at him, and Naruto could tell she was exhausted.   
  
"Hokage-sama has ordered that you stay with Sasuke-san at his home tonight. She has temporarily sealed the fox within you for 24 hours." She said, wisely deciding to leave out the details of the chaos Naruto had caused earlier. Naruto frowned, looking down at Sasuke. It must be some special order from Tsunade for Sasuke to watch him. Sasuke would never volunteer for a job like this.   
  
..right?   
  
"You're very lucky, Naruto-san.." The nurse said, smiling kindly at him as she stood up and walked over to the bedside. "..to have such good friends as you do." She patted his head, lightly touching Sasuke's shoulder. Naruto nodded.   
  
"..I know."   
  
The nurse gently shook Sasuke.   
  
"Sasuke-san, Naruto is awake now.. Sasuke-san, wake up.." She murmured gently. Sasuke's eyes fluttered open, his gaze shifting first up to Naruto, then at the nurse. Naruto could see himself reflected in those dark pools, endlessly drifting into Sasuke's very soul, even as the cloudiness of sleep faded away from them. Sasuke blinked slowly, catching his staring, raising an eyebrow.   
  
"Eh? Naruto? You want something?" He asked, frowning. Naruto shook his head.   
  
"No. But.. they say I'm supposed to go with you tonight. To stay at your house overnight so you can watch me or something." He said, looking confused. Sasuke nodded.   
  
"Yeah, I volunteered to watch you for tonight."   
  
_He.. volunteered?_ Naruto wondered, blinking. Sasuke stared at him.   
  
"Is there something wrong?" He asked as he stood up and stretched a little. Naruto shook his head.   
  
"No. Can we get out of here, though? I really don't like this place, it's way too quiet and depressing." Naruto sat up and stretched out his sore limbs. His eyes fell down upon the bed, noticing that the bonds had been pulled at and eventually snapped.   
  
_What.. what did I..?_   
  
Naruto's eyes began to travel downward so he could look at his hands. Sasuke's hand snapped out, grabbing his before the blonde had a chance to put the pieces together. He didn't want to cause any more pain for the Uzumaki boy.   
  
"Let's go." He said firmly. Naruto nodded and let himself be helped out of bed by Sasuke, noticing how the dark-haired ninja's hands lingered on his a little longer than they needed to. Soon, they were out in the pasty white hallways, heading towards the exit. Naruto couldn't help but notice how some of the doctors and nurses shied out of their path.   
  
"Ne.. Sasuke." Naruto said quietly, pausing to look around. Sasuke didn't answer. Naruto frowned, hurrying to catch up to him, bumping into a nurse by accident.   
  
"Oh! I'm sorry--" He began, reaching out to help her back up. She scurried back, hurriedly picked up the papers she'd dropped, and dashed off. Naruto's shoulders slumped slightly, and Sasuke turned, having seen the whole thing. Naruto looked at him.   
  
"Sasuke, what did I do..?" He asked. His voice made Sasuke's heart wrench violently in his chest. It was so pleading, so full of pain. Sasuke knew that if all this wasn't happening, Naruto would try and block everything out. But the looks everyone was giving to him..   
  
Sasuke turned away, staring at the ground. Without looking back up, he waited until they were alone in the hallway, and then spoke quietly.   
  
"The Kyuubi's seal is starting to break away. You snapped earlier, and it took almost full control of you.. you attacked a few people." He said, eyes lowered. Naruto's eyes widened, and he took a step back.   
  
"I.. I don't believe you.. I couldn't have.." He said, staring at his hands. "..I.. did.. did I kill anyone, Sasuke..?"   
  
That voice. It made Sasuke's chest ache terribly, and he raised a hand, placing it there. This pain was something that couldn't be cured with spells or medicine. This pain was that of sympathy, of heartache. Of not being able to do a damn thing for Naruto except die for him. Sasuke shook his head.   
  
"No. No one's dead. Tsunade put a seal on you that'll last for twenty-four hours. After that.." Sasuke trailed off. No. He couldn't tell Naruto what happened 'after that'. He wouldn't be able to take that tone of voice anymore. Naruto stared at him.   
  
"'After that'..?" He asked, frowning. "Then what..?"   
  
Sasuke stepped forward, putting a hand on Naruto's face. Naruto jerked in surprise, but didn't pull away. The Uchiha boy was staring at him so intently, it was almost unsettling. Then, a faint smile tugged at Sasuke's lips as he turned away and kept walking.   
  
"..after that, I'll make everything all right again."   
  
~*~   
  
Sasuke lay awake, staring up at the ceiling. The Uchiha manor was silent, save for the quiet chirping of crickets and the peaceful babbling of the small brook that ran near the building. Yet, somehow, even that couldn't lull him to sleep. Shadows of cherry blossom petals floated past the window, colored dark purple by the night sky. Sasuke rolled over, looking to Naruto, who, miraculously, wasn't snoring for once. The boy was still, and looked extremely peaceful. Sasuke leaned over him, looking down at his face, ingraining it into his memory.   
  
"Nn.. Sasuke.. knock it off, you bastard.." Naruto muttered, squirming a little. Sasuke smiled faintly.   
  
"So this is the thanks I get for dying for you, Naruto..? Heh. Figures." He reached up, brushing a few bangs out of Naruto's face, daring to do so only because he knew that Naruto slept like a rock. Naruto kept mumbling curses under his breath, and Sasuke watched him for a few moments, his hand resting on Naruto's cheek. He brushed the pad of his thumb over the whisker-marks, frowning slightly.   
  
_Why you, Naruto? I couldn't.. be normal, could I? Couldn't fall in love with a girl like Sakura or Ino.. or even some other normal boy, like Shikamaru or something. It had.._   
  
Sasuke, without another moment's thought, leaned down and pressed his lips against Naruto's, his eyes sliding shut.   
  
_..it had to be you._   
__   
Unbeknownst to Sasuke, Naruto's eyes fluttered open during the kiss. His eyes widened faintly, his groggy mind trying desperately to comprehend this. Why was Sasuke kissing him? Why was he just sitting here and _letting_ him?! This was wrong.. this was so wrong. Naruto let out a cry, shoving Sasuke back. Sasuke, caught off-guard, skidded across the slippery floor, stopping himself just before he slammed into the wall. Naruto stared at him, panting, wiping his lips with the back of his hand, disgusted.   
  
_I can't believe I ever thought I loved him. I can't believe I actually thought I_ _might actually.._   
  
"Is _this_ why you wanted me to stay the night, you _bastard_?!" He snarled, and Sasuke turned away.   
  
"You don't understand."   
  
"I understand _perfectly_! You just.. you just wanted to take advantage of me, didn't you?! Didn't you, Uchiha?!" Naruto spat out, his words full of venom. Sasuke took a deep breath, and Naruto jerked in surprise. Those dark eyes glittered, as though Sasuke's eyes were full of tears. But the boy seemed to succeed in holding them back, as not a single droplet slipped and fell from them. Naruto frowned, confused now. Sasuke was right. He didn't understand any of this. Sasuke stood up, moving towards a door.   
  
"I'll sleep in another room, then.. if you're that worried about me." He said softly, with a tone of voice Naruto had never heard him use before. It seemed so.. forlorn. As the moonlight from outside streamed through the window and covered Sasuke's body for a brief moment. It seemed to make his pale skin glow. Naruto wrenched his eyes away. No. That was wrong. He shouldn't feel for Sasuke. Not like that.   
  
_Damn Sasuke. Stupid Mr. I-have-to-be-perfect-all-the-damn-time. Damn him for making me feel this way. It's all his fault. _Naruto thought bitterly, desperate to shoulder the blame on anyone but himself. He sighed, knowing that trying to decieve himself was useless, and he sat down in the corner of the room, burying his face in his knees and falling silent.   
  
~*~   
  
A few hours passed by, and Naruto found himself unable to get any sleep. This whole thing with the fox was unsettling, especially since he knew the seal would only last for twenty-four hours. Then what? What did Sasuke mean, he'd make everything alright? He didn't understand. This was his problem, why didn't he know what everyone was going to do to fix it? Why wasn't anyone telling him anything?   
  
Naruto's eyes fell upon the clock. Two in the morning. He was so tired, but he couldn't sleep.   
  
_I.. might wanna go apologize to Sasuke. After all, he is protecting me.. even if he did kiss me, the bastard.._   
  
He rose to his feet, wondering if the Uchiha was still asleep. He opened the door slowly, as quietly as he could, so as to not rouse him. Sure enough, the boy was lying on his side on the hard floor, covered in nothing but a thin blanket. The moonlight streamed in just right through a window, bathing the dark-haired ninja in a ethereal light. His hair was splayed gracefully about on the hardwood flooring. One hand was underneath his head, serving as a pillow, the other just rested in front of him on the ground.   
  
_He's.. he's so.. beautiful._ Naruto thought, awe-struck by this image before him. Was this really Sasuke? The battle-hardened, tough ninja with a constant scowl? Naruto's shoulders slumped a little. Sasuke had beaten him in yet another contest.   
  
"Nn.." Sasuke murmured something beneath his breath and shivered, his free hand going to pull the blanket closer around him. Naruto bit his lip.   
  
_My fault._ He thought guiltily, retreating to the other room and getting Sasuke's other blanket, carefully laying it down on him, trying not to wake him. Sasuke snuggled into it, his shivers stilling. Naruto smiled faintly.   
  
_Jeez. You'd think he'd be able to take a little bit of a chill. But.. damn, it really is cold in here.._ Naruto wrapped his arms around himself, shivering. The fact that he was only in a T-shirt and boxers didn't help much either. Sasuke had begun shivering again, his face almost pitiful. Naruto sighed. He supposed they were to be allowed some points of weakness. After all, despite the fact that they were ninjas, they were still only fifteen.   
  
_Well.. I guess I owe you an apology._ He thought, carefully climbing under the blankets next to Sasuke, reaching out and pulling the paler boy to him. Sasuke immediately cuddled against the source of warmth, his shivers stopping again. Naruto wrapped his arms around the Uchiha's shoulders, holding him close. It was strange, yet comforting.. having another body this close to him, curled up against him. Naruto sighed and fell into a deep sleep, holding Sasuke against him, their hearts beating together as one.   
  
~*~   
  
Naruto slowly awoke the next morning, frowning as he realized there was something missing. The warm body from the previous night had vanished. Sitting up quickly, Naruto looked around.   
  
"Sasuke..?"   
  
There was a strange feeling rising in his chest as he ran around the manor, searching for the boy.   
  
"Sasuke! Sasuke! Where are you..?"   
  
That feeling of dread was gaining in it's intensity, no matter how many times Naruto told himself Sasuke was probably just off getting food or something. He ran outside, the cherry blossom petals sticking to his bare feet as he looked around outside.   
  
"Sasuke!" He called out again, but there was no response except the chirping birds. Naruto gritted his teeth.   
  
_Dammit.. where the hell is he?!_ He turned and ran back into the house, pulling on his pants and running back outside, beginning to pull his sandals on, when a voice interrupted him. Before him stood Iruka.   
  
"Iruka-sensei! Do you know what.. happened to.. Sasuke.." Naruto's voice slowly faded away as he saw the incredibly grim look on his teacher's face. Iruka avoided his question, turning.   
  
"Come, Naruto, the Hokage is performing the ceremony to remove the fox today." He said, beginning to walk away. Naruto's eyes widened, and quickly he scurried after.   
  
"The ceremony..?" Naruto questioned as he fell into step beside Iruka. Iruka smiled down at him weakly.   
  
"Yeah. Hokage-sama found a way to remove the fox without hurting you." He said. They kept walking for a few minutes, finally coming upon the building where the Hokage resided. Iruka led him through a dark, ominous hallway, until they came upon a large room, lit only by candlelight. Naruto peered into the room. Kakashi was standing off to the side, next to Tsunade. A few ninjas stood in various places around the room. Everyone looked so.. solemn. Tsunade spoke first.   
  
"Iruka, take your place, please. Naruto, please, step forward." She moved toward the middle of the room.   
  
Naruto noticed a circle of candles in the center of the room, with a figure standing in the middle of those. There were spiraled marks drawn all over the ground, leading up onto the figure's slender, pale body, up on his shoulders, over his back and chest, up to his neck, with a spiral drawn on his left cheek.   
  
The figure turned upon their entry, and Naruto's heart almost leapt from his chest. Sasuke gave him a sort of sad smile, and suddenly everything clicked in Naruto's head. What all those strange things Sasuke had said meant. Why everyone was so sad-looking.   
  
He understood now.   
  
_"I'll make everything all right again."_   
__   
~*~**To Be Continued...**   
****   
x.x I'm so tired.. but, I'm proud of this chapter. ^^ Reviews are appreciated, as always.   
  
~TAB 


	3. Cyclamen, Goodbye

  
**Forget Me Not**   
**By The Ambitious Blank**   
****   
**Disclaimer**- Naruto isn't mine. ^^   
**Comments**- Lalala.. next chapter.. death in this one. Um.. duh. x.x; Lots of cursing on Naruto's part.   
  
..um, yeah, in the last chapter, Sasuke was kinda soft. x.o; I apologize for that. I was kinda trying to avoid it.. but, whatever. He's about to die, so I figure he'd be a little nicer. ^_^;   
  
~*~**Chapter 3- Cyclamen, "Goodbye"**   
****   
"SASUKE! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Naruto began to charge forward, only to be pulled back. He yelled and struggled against the hands that held him, looking up to see Kakashi and Iruka standing there. Iruka avoided his eyes, Kakashi stared at him calmly.   
  
"Hold still, Naruto." He said quietly, turning to watch Sasuke, who glanced to them wordlessly.   
  
_That bastard! What the FUCK does he think he's doing?! This is some kind of sick joke, isn't it?! _   
  
"This isn't funny.. this isn't funny anymore, Sasuke!" Naruto stared at the dark-haired boy, desperate for the laughter he was sure would be ringing out any second now. "Ha, we got you good, Naruto." They would say. Any second now. Right? RIGHT?!   
  
Sasuke averted his gaze from his. Naruto felt his heart pound once, hard, against his ribcage.   
  
_No._ **_NO!!_**   
  
"I won't let you! You _can't_! Sasuke, you idiot!!" He struggled against Kakashi and Iruka's grip. "Lemme go! You can't let him do this! You can't!!"   
  
"Be _quiet_, Naruto." Tsunade spoke up, stepping forward and glaring at him. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be." She looked to Sasuke. "You're sure about this, aren't you?"   
  
"Too late to turn back now." Sasuke answered softly, looking to Naruto, who stared at him helplessly. He'd given up struggling, knowing it was hopeless. But what does one say, looking into the eyes of a friend about to die for you? He was speechless, and Sasuke turned to face Tsunade, who sighed, biting her lip as she stepped back and raised her hands. Kakashi reached down and unzipped Naruto's jacket, removing it and his shirt, and the hands returned to his shoulders, holding him more tightly now.   
  
_Sasuke.. Sasuke.. this has to be some sort of dream.._   
  
Tsunade raised her hands, which had begun to glow with a faint blue. The light flowed from her fingers to the markings on the floor, spreading across them towards Sasuke, who watched them. As the light began to cover him, he turned to Naruto.   
  
"Goodbye, Naruto." He murmured softly. Naruto's eyes widened, and suddenly he found his voice.   
  
"SASUKE!" He screamed, struggling. Kakashi held him tightly. Sasuke was now enveloped in light, his chakra, colored a dark blue, flowed from his shoulderblades, and for a brief moment, it looked as though he had wings to fly. The chakra continued to drain, flowing into a symbol drawn on Tsunade's palm, and eventually Sasuke's eyes drooped.   
  
_I feel so tired._   
  
He glanced to Naruto, who he could see was still yelling, but strangely, couldn't hear him. He could barely keep his eyes open.   
  
_Naruto.. I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you how I felt for you._   
__   
"Sasuke.." Naruto had given up struggling again, falling forward in Kakashi and Iruka's grip, tears streaming down his face.   
  
_Isn't it wierd, Naruto? I used to hate you so much.._   
__   
Sasuke smiled faintly. Was this what death felt like? The feeling of getting progressively more and more tired.. it certainly wasn't anything unpleasant, like most thought it would be.   
  
_I never realized.._   
  
"I hate you, Sasuke. I'll hate you forever for this.."   
  
_..how much one person could mean to me._   
__   
Sasuke felt his eyes finally closing.   
  
_Forgive me, Naruto. This.. this is finally goodbye._   
__   
~*~   
  
Naruto watched disbelievingly as Sasuke finally fell to the ground and lay still. Sasuke. His rival. His teammate. His companion.   
  
_..my friend._   
__   
"**_SASUKE_**!!" He shrieked, throwing himself against Iruka and Kakashi's grip, breaking from it forcefully.   
  
"Naruto!" Kakashi called, reaching out to grab him again. Naruto jumped out of the way and ran to the fallen form, falling to his knees in front of it. There was a long period of silence, where no one dared to move. Naruto could feel tears streaming down his face, and finally, he let loose.   
  
"I hate you, Sasuke! _I hate you_!! You never told me you'd be doing this!! You bastard.. we never got to settle that fight! You just wanted to die while you were ahead, didn't you?! You fucking _BASTARD_!!" He raised a fist and slammed it down into the ground just near Sasuke's face, making a dent in the stone floor. Everyone in the room flinched, but still didn't say anything. Iruka bit his lip and looked off to the side. Tsunade turned away, sighing heavily.   
  
"Naruto, it's time for you to go."   
  
"I'll never forgive you. I swear I'll never forgive you.." Naruto whispered as he was dragged away from Sasuke's prone form. Tsunade mumured a few words, her palm beginning to glow brightly with the power of Sasuke's chakra. Naruto felt incredible pain as her hand met with the spiral seal on his stomach. He heard a shriek of terror from the fox sealed within him, and then everything went black.   
  
~*~   
  
_"Naruto. Wake up, Naruto."_   
  
"Huh? Sasuke? I thought you were.." Naruto opened his eyes and sat up, looking around the white hospital room.   
  
No one.   
  
"..dead." Naruto finished sadly. He lay still, staring at the ceiling.   
  
"Damn you, Sasuke. I hope you burn in Hell for this, you ass! You were always such a cocky bastard, weren't you?!" He growled out, rolling onto his side. "You just wanted to best me, huh? Dying for the village like you're some damn hero!" He rolled over again, images of Sasuke's small smile towards him as the ceremony began flooding his mind. He rolled onto his stomach, beating the pillow with a fist.   
  
_I hate you, Sasuke. I hate you! You always have to win in the end, don't you?_ Naruto's eyes filled with tears, but it didn't matter, they just spilled directly into the pillow.   
  
_I hate you.. you were always better than me, weren't you? That never would have changed. You refused to acknowledge me as a ninja.. so why the hell did you do this? I don't understand you. Why do you have to be such a fucking hard puzzle to figure out??_   
  
There was a soft knock on the door, and Kakashi and Iruka stepped into the room, both looking solemn. Kakashi remained calm as always, Iruka looked nervous and fidgety, but he spoke first.   
  
"N.. Naruto, how are you feeling?" He frowned, his parental instinct he held for the young blonde taking over. He walked over, pulling up a chair and sitting down in it. Kakashi moved over and stood next to him. Iruka sighed.   
  
"Look, Naruto, I'm sorry we didn't tell you about this." He said, chewing on his lip nervously. Naruto didn't move, his face still buried in the pillow. Iruka looked perplexed, and glanced up to Kakashi for advice. Kakashi shrugged and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.   
  
"Naruto." He spoke softly. Naruto mumbled something into the pillow. Iruka raised an eyebrow.   
  
"What'd you say, Naruto? We couldn't hear you."   
  
Naruto slowly rolled over, eyes red and puffy from crying, but he sent an almost murderous glare in Kakashi's direction.   
  
"What happened to your stupid philosophy, huh, Kakashi-_sensei_?!" He demanded. Kakashi stared at him, his one visible eye widening a bit. Naruto continued, his eyes narrowed, his voice cruelly mocking.   
  
"'I never let my comrades die.' What kind of bullshit have you been feeding us, huh?!" He sat up, glaring. Kakashi turned away. Iruka sighed.   
  
"Don't be so foolish, Naruto. Sasuke decided to do this on his own. No one asked him to. He surprised us all."   
  
"I don't _CARE_! Why didn't someone fucking STOP HIM?! Couldn't you all see him_** DYING**_?!"   
  
"_NARUTO_!" Kakashi said sharply, and immediately both Iruka and Naruto shut their mouths and looked at him. Kakashi sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. He was beginning to see how Shikamaru could think the whole world was troublesome.   
  
"Naruto, Sasuke died to save this village. Had we waited any longer to do anything about the Kyuubi, it would have taken you over, and many lives would have been needlessly lost, just like last time. Sasuke died to protect his village, and you. You felt guilty after you attacked those few doctors that one day, imagine how you would have felt if you slaughtered the entire village."   
  
Naruto opened his mouth to say something, before the weight of Kakashi's words sank in. He faltered, then sighed, shoulders slumping as he stared at the floor. Iruka let out his breath in a quiet _whoosh_, then reached up and patted Naruto's shoulder.   
  
"The doctors say you can leave later today. I'll see you later, Naruto. How about we get some ramen later?"   
  
"Sure, Iruka-sensei." Naruto responded in a monotone, which disturbed the Chuunin somewhat. The two teachers left, leaving Naruto alone in this blank, sterile room, with only his thoughts to accompany him.   
  
~*~**The Next Day...**   
  
Naruto wandered the streets of Konoha, alone as always. People seemed to be nicer to him, offering smiles and waves. It had taken a while, but with Iruka, Kakashi, and even with the other Genins' help, he'd managed to become just another face in the village. Sure, there were some who still shot him dirty looks, but he'd learned to ignore them. Still, it felt so wierd, not having the fox there anymore, spitting curses at him whenever he demanded for help in using his chakra.   
  
_But.. now I have Sasuke's chakra to make up for that._ He thought, staring down at his reflection in a puddle, noticing that his eyes were just as lonely as when he was a little kid, and he'd only lost one person he thought he hated. Naruto's shoulders slumped.   
  
_Sasuke wasn't just some rival, was he..? He was my friend.. I think. _He chewed on his lip, perplexed at not being able to tell the difference. The reflection in front of him was suddenly shattered by a foot slamming down into it. His head jerked up, and suddenly he was being shaken violently by hands on his shoulders. He desperately tried to study who it was, and caught a glimpse of familiar pink hair and emerald eyes burning with anger.   
  
"HOW COULD YOU LET SASUKE-KUN DIE?!" She shrieked, obviously hysterical. She stopped shaking him, just holding him there, her grip so tight that Naruto felt as though his shoulders might just cave in. He was struck speechless by how angry she was with him, and looked away.   
  
_How could I..?_   
  
"ANSWER ME, NARUTO!!" She screamed, shaking him again and then staring at him, tears of fury streaming down her cheeks.   
  
_Don't I mean anything to you, Sakura-chan..?_   
  
"How.. how could you let.. how could you let him just.. die?! Sasuke-kun.. Sasuke-kun wasn't supposed to die for someone like you.." She sobbed, releasing him. Naruto jerked back as if she'd stricken him.   
  
_Someone.. like me..?_ He thought, feeling old, supressed tears beginning to rise to his eyes. He bowed his head, one of them slipping from his eye, splashing into the shattered puddle before his feet.   
  
"I.. I'm sorry, Sakura-chan." He choked out.   
  
_Does one stupid crush really mean the world to you, Sakura-chan? If it does, then I'm sorry. _   
  
Mixed emotions rose to the surface, and Naruto clenched his fists. How he hated to feel. He'd always envied Sasuke for being so apathetic about everything. Always keeping his cool.   
  
_Damn bastard._   
  
Naruto couldn't explain what he felt. He'd always tried so hard to get Sakura to just acknowledge him as a true shinobi, and that wish had been granted, several times over by now. But her precious Sasuke-kun, who was only a childhood crush, meant so much more than the friend Naruto had tried so desperate to be. He pushed past the sobbing girl, walking onward. Sakura turned to him, those tears still streaming down her face. She screamed after him, falling to her knees in the middle of the street.   
  
"Bring back Sasuke-kun, Naruto! Bring him back!! He wasn't supposed to die for _you_!"   
  
Naruto broke into a run, putting an arm up to his face to hide his tears.   
  
~*~**To Be Continued...**   
  
Fwee, yeah. I hope it was depressing enough for you all. ^_^ 


	4. Lavender Heather, Solitude

  
**Forget Me Not**   
**By The Ambitious Blank**   
****   
**Disclaimer**- Naruto doesn't belong to me. ^_^;   
**Comments**- Here we go.. next chapter. ^^ Tiny bit of bloodiness in this one..   
  
~*~**Chapter 4- Lavender Heather, "Solitude"**   
****   
Naruto had never felt quite so alone.   
  
There was, of course, the time where the demon fox had caused almost everyone in the village to shun him like the plague. That sort of loneliness, knowing that everyone hated you and not being able to do a single thing about it ached terribly enough. But the loneliness that came from knowing someone you cared about, someone you may have even loved, someone who your feelings for had never quite been sorted out, died just for the sake of saving your life.. that sort of loneliness numbed your entire body and mind, left a gaping hole in your very heart, and made it feel as though your soul would tear itself in two from the agony.   
  
Suicide was an option he'd tried already. He hadn't been able to feel the kunai piercing his wrist, everything had gone so numb, his entire world turned into something that seemed so unreal. But something had stopped him for a moment, made him hesitate, and that was when Kakashi and Iruka happened to stop by to stop him. So Naruto just.. gave up. Death didn't seem like a good enough punishment for someone who had let their best friend die for them.   
  
Blank blue eyes stared out at the rain pounding against the glass of his window. It had been raining for days, as though the world wished to mourn the total annihilation of the Uchiha clan. Naruto turned to look around his small apartment. For once, the floor was clean, he'd hardly eaten anything for days. Iruka had somehow managed to force some ramen down his throat, but even that tasted like dust to Naruto.   
  
Some days he would pass by the Uchiha manor and peer inside the gates, as though if he stood and stared long enough, Sasuke would emerge and yell at him for being stupid, standing there like an idiot, just.. staring.   
  
It was frustrating, knowing how alone, how sad, how upset he was by all this, and not being able to figure out what he wanted to do about it. He wanted to die, wanted to scream, wanted to break down in someone's arms sobbing, but there was no one to hold him. Just like before, when he was shunned because of what was sealed inside him, there was no one. No one to wrap their arms around his shoulders and tell him everything would be alright, no one to chase his fears away, no one to be there whenever he needed to confess what he felt. The only person that would have ever showed him such a kindness was Sasuke.   
  
_And he's dead._ A nasty, bitter voice in Naruto's mind practically spat. _He's dead because you couldn't protect him, Uzumaki. He's dead because you couldn't control the damn fox inside you._   
  
More than anything he wanted to be comforted. He knew it was impossible, that indeed the person closest to him was the young Uchiha heir, but he'd lost that. He'd been stupid and lost it.   
  
"So now what..?" Naruto murmured, pressing a hand against the cool glass, feeling the faint vibrations of the rain pounding against the windows. "You bastard, Sasuke. You left me here alone. You were one of the only people who understood me.."   
  
_Who understood what the meaning of loneliness really is. _   
  
Naruto wandered to his bed and collapsed onto the soft mattress, letting violent sobs overtake him.   
  
~*~   
  
"Naruto! _Naruto_! Wake up, you lazy bum."   
  
Naruto pulled the covers over his head, miserably mumbling incoherently into his pillow. Tsunade sighed, putting a hand on her hip. Shizune meekly watched on from behind as the Hokage reached down to shake the Uzumaki boy again. Naruto tried to shove her hand away, but to no avail. Finally, he rolled over, glaring up at the blonde woman and simultaneously shielding his eyes from the brilliant sun now streaming through the window, a stark contrast to the pouring rain of the previous night.   
  
"What?! What do you _want_, you stupid old hag?!"   
  
"I'm choosing to ignore that comment, Naruto, for now." She crossed her arms. "I came to let you know that Sasuke left _you_ just about everything he owns, his house included." She sighed. "Whatever he left to other people has already been given to them, so all that's left is you. We assume you want to move in there."   
  
Naruto stared at her, dumbfounded.   
  
"Sasuke left me.. everything?"   
  
"Yes. And it would be appropriate, I suppose.. after all, Naruto, you do have the last remaining bit of the Uchiha clan in you." Tsunade pointed out. Naruto put a hand over his heart and looked down.   
  
_Sasuke.. why.. didn't you ever say something?_   
__   
~*~   
  
The day seemed almost insultingly beautiful. The sun was overly cheery and bright, and Naruto was beginning to understand why Sasuke always seemed so annoyed when it was light outside. One hand shadowing his eyes, he began walking in the direction of the Uchiha manor, trying to avoid everyone's gazes on the street. Some were sympathetic, some seemed angry with him again. Most just ignored him. So he kept walking until he came upon the gates of the Uchiha manor, pushing it open and stepping inside. He glanced about him. It was too quiet. Even the birds refused to sing in this place, a place of sorrow and death.   
  
After he gave himself a tour of the huge house, he went inside and began looking through the drawers, finding various photos. He found a strange, unexplainable anger rising up within him as he looked over the older photographs of Itachi. Wondering if somehow Sasuke's thoughts and emotions remained in his chakra, he decided to put the photos away and continued walking through the house. He stepped into Sasuke's room, and his suspicions were nearly confirmed. A sort of warm, comforted feeling overcame him, despite he knew he should be nervous about being in someone else's house, even if the aforementioned someone was dead.   
  
Sighing, Naruto sat down on Sasuke's bed, running his fingers over the blankets. The room still smelled like Sasuke, even. He lay down, staring up at the ceiling.   
  
_I wonder how many times Sasuke would just lie like this. I wonder.. if he ever thought about me while he was here._   
__   
//Dozens of times.// A soft voice spoke in Naruto's mind.   
  
"Huh??" Naruto jerked up, looking around.   
  
_Sasuke..? Sasuke!! I know I heard you.. where are you..?_   
__   
No answer.   
  
Naruto fell back down onto the bed, feeling more tears rising up into his eyes.   
  
"I think I'm going crazy. I'm hearing Sasuke's voice, now.. and he's not even here. It's not even possible." He rolled onto his side, one hand gripping the blankets tightly. "You left me alone, you asshole. You left me here to suffer, even after.. even after I was starting to like you a little." He closed his eyes tightly. "I _hate_ you, Sasuke!!"   
  
//I'm sorry you feel that way.//   
  
The blonde jerked up again. There, it was that voice. That painfully familiar voice. He looked around frantically, as though he expected to see Sasuke standing in the room, looking annoyed. But still, there was nothing, only his own aching loneliness.   
  
After a while, he felt the clutches of sleep overtake him, and he let himself fall into the warm arms of slumber, still lying atop Sasuke's bed.   
  
He dreamed.   
  
~*~   
  
Naruto was standing in a huge field of flowers. He wasn't sure why or how he'd gotten there, only that he was supposed to be meeting someone here. Sasuke. That was it, he was supposed to meet Sasuke by the tree in the middle of this field. He could see it off in the distance, and began to run towards it, when Sasuke appeared in front of him. The boy smiled and beckoned him over.   
  
"There you are!" Naruto said, grinning, and rushed towards him. Sasuke's eyes suddenly widened, and he vanished just as Naruto was reaching him. Naruto stared at his empty hands.   
  
"What the hell..?"   
  
Sasuke appeared back in front of him a little ways, smiling again in the same exact way as before. He ran forward, but again, Sasuke vanished. He rushed forward, Sasuke appearing and vanishing again and again until he reached the tree.   
  
"Tell me why, Naruto."   
  
Naruto whirled around. Sasuke stood there, glaring at him hatefully. Naruto jerked back in surprise, and Sasuke advanced forward.   
  
"Answer me. Why did you kill me?"   
  
Naruto whimpered. Sasuke's eyes narrowed further, and suddenly, he smirked menacingly.   
  
"I'm just another death on your account."   
  
The blonde's eyes widened as he scrambled back.   
  
_No.._   
__   
"I'm just another death to add to the list."   
  
_No.. no, Sasuke.._   
__   
"..just another death because of your damn demon fox."   
  
"It's not true.. it's not true! I'm not the demon fox! I'm not, dammit, I'm _not!!_" Naruto yelled, putting his hands to his head. "I'm not.. I'm not.. stop saying that.." Painful memories flooded into his mind. The constant looks of scorn sent his way, the way he'd constantly be beaten for what he was, for what he couldn't help but me.   
  
"You killed me, Naruto. I'm dead because of you. Just another of the thousands _you've_ already murdered. The blood is on your hands." Sasuke said cruelly, still with that horrible smirk on his face. He reached out and grabbed Naruto's wrist roughly, yanking it down from his head, palm upward. Naruto peeked his eyes open and stared at his hand. It was stained with crimson, fresh blood oozing down his palm, dripping into the flowers. The moment it touched one of the innocent petals, the world around him turned to red, and all the flowers in the field were splattered with blood. Sasuke turned, staring off. Naruto followed his gaze, hearing shrieks and horrible cries.   
  
The demon fox stood a few hundred yards away, shrieking and tossing it's head as huge, monstrous chains were thrown around it's legs and neck. It howled and the chains exploded as it reared it's head, tossing several faceless ninjas far into the distance.   
  
"..who will be next, Naruto? Who will be the next to die..?"   
  
One of the figures flew their way and landed in front of him. Sasuke scoffed and kicked the body, rolling it over, the lifeless face of Kakashi staring up to them. Naruto screamed and backed away. Another form landed near them. Sakura. He turned and ran, ran as fast as his feet could carry him, the bodies of his friends lying about the field of once-beautiful flowers. Shikamaru. Neji. Ino. Chouji. Hinata.   
  
Naruto froze as a shadowy figure stumbled towards him.   
  
"..he.. help me, Naruto.." The figure straightened a little, and Sasuke's helpless eyes stared up into Naruto's. The Uzumaki boy reached out to help, but a shadowy hand made of the fox's red chakra flowed out from his palm, stabbing through Sasuke's stomach. The Uchiha shouted in pain, staring up at Naruto with eyes full of sadness and betrayal as he collapsed into the bloodied flowers. Naruto backed away.   
  
_No. No. It's not me. I'm not the demon fox. I'm not him!! _He thought desperately and put his hands to his head again.. his palms felt sticky, and again he stared at his hands. They were still stained with blood, and feeling faint, he fell back.   
  
He was falling, falling into nothingness. A scream echoed through the darkness, which he barely recognized as his own voice.   
  
~*~   
  
Cerulean blues snapped open as Naruto awoke with a start. Immediately he ran to the bathroom and dropped down in front of the toliet, emptying what little contents were in his stomach into the bowl. Once he had stopped heaving, he quickly moved to the sink and furiously washed his hands. He felt so dirtied, and worst of all, he felt even more alone than before. He looked down at his hands. They were clean, and somehow in the back of his head he knew they'd never been bloody, not like in his dream. He stared into his reflection.   
  
_Pitiful._   
  
He might as well have been some teenage girl that just got dumped or something. His eyes were puffy and red from the constant tears, his hair was mussed from sleep (or lack thereof), his clothes were wrinkled as he'd been too lazy to wash them, and his face was pale.   
  
"Heh, I wonder what Sasuke would have to say about me now. Probably something about me having to grow up."   
  
He stared sadly down at the sink.   
  
"..Sasuke.."   
  
The name seemed dirty. Unfit for his lips. He was cursed, and even though the demon fox was gone from him, traces of it still remained, and the fact was that he _had_ been that fox. His whiskers still remained on his face, and the seal was still on his stomach, even though the fox was gone. He lifted up his shirt and ran his fingers across the markings, then looked back up at the mirror and stumbled back in shock, staring dumbly at his own face.   
  
A pair of Sharingan stared back at him.   
  
~*~**To Be Continued..**   
  
Interesting side-effects, ne? ^^; Well, sorry it took so long for me to spit this one out. I'm gonna go work on more stuff now. Mwah.   
  
~TAB 


	5. White Poppy, Consolation

  
  
**Forget Me Not**   
**By The Ambitious Blank**   
****   
**Disclaimer**- Naruto still doesn't belong to me.   
**Comments- **Lalala. Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. I save my fanfictions on AOL, and.. we had to reinstall it, therefore the file was lost. e.e; But, I managed to work up the motivation to rewrite what had been lost. I'm so sorry This is the second to last chapter, by the way. 

........it won't let me use my little as little section separators anymore. Fuck.  
  
**Chapter 5- White Poppy, "Consolation"**   
****   
Naruto staggered back from the mirror, staring dumbly at the reflection that stared back at him. Sharingan eyes.. two dots swirling around the outside of his pupil, exactly like Sasuke's. For a moment, he could see a flash of the dark-haired Uchiha, his cold, battle-ready gaze looking back at Naruto, before it vanished, returning back to Naruto's own dumbfounded expression.   
  
_Sharingan eyes..? Impossible.._   
__   
//Is it..?//   
  
He glanced around again, searching for the source of that familiar voice, surprised at how heightened his sight and notice of movement was. He spotted a spider slowly crawling up the wall, and as soon as the thought crossed his mind that it should be let outside, his hand shot out and caught it mid-step. It sat still for a moment in his hands, confused, and Naruto carried it out into the cool night air, releasing it on Sasuke's porch, then returning to the bathroom.   
  
The heightened sight had faded on his way back, and sure enough, when Naruto looked back into the mirror, the Sharingan were gone, his bright blue eyes confused.   
  
Sighing, Naruto turned to head back to the bedroom.   
  
_I'm probably just seeing things 'cause I haven't gotten any sleep. I couldn't have Sharingan eyes.. it's just.. impossible. _  
__   
Shrugging the event off as mere illusion, Naruto struggled off back to bed.   


-------  
  
The day of the funeral arrived. Everyone was gathered on the open platform beneath the cliff face where the faces of the Hokage were carved into the rock. It rained hard, as though the entire world was sobbiing for the loss of the Uchiha clan. The rain mingled with everyone's salty tears, and puddles were formed everywhere, mixtures of salt and water. Naruto kicked at one idly, then looked around at the people surrounding him.   
  
Ino and Sakura were standing together. Sakura was sobbing hard into Ino's shoulder, and Ino was doing her best to stand strong. The Yamanaka girl caught Naruto's gaze and gave him a sympathetic smile. Naruto guessed Sakura had shown her anger to her friend, and that's why Ino had that look on her face. Naruto turned away, barely able to face how upset Sakura looked.   
  
Hinata was crying silently, clutching Neji's sleeve. She stood with the rest of the Hyuuga clan, and for once they'd ignored the seperation of the houses, so Neji and Hinata stood together. Neji, for once, wasn't being completely coldhearted, and was letting Hinata cling to him, not saying a word. He nodded to Naruto. The Uzumaki looked away again.   
  
Shikamaru stood firm, his Chuunin vest on. He looked so serious, and his mouth was set in a firm line. He'd lost one of the few Genin that he'd actually had respect for.   
  
Everyone here had lost a piece of themselves, though a lot of the people who'd showed up were just paying respects for the lost clan. For a brief moment, Naruto felt slight anger. A funeral was supposed to be people who loved and cared about the person who died. He could understand most of the Genin being here, but some of the other people were just random families, or people from other clans who didn't know him at all.   
  
In fact, none of them knew him as well as Naruto. Had anyone besides himself actually _cared_ for Sasuke? Even Sakura and Ino didn't really deserve to be here. All Sasuke was to them was some stupid crush.. they'd get over it. It was just some stupid girl thing. Naruto's fist clenched at his side.   
  
A hand rested itself on his shoulder, and the shadow of a black umbrella fell over him. Naruto looked up. Iruka stood there, a gentle smile on his face, but the solemnity of this entire procession still wore lines across his face. Naruto still couldn't help but feel the same anger for the people here.   
  
_None of them have any sympathy._   
  
The Uchiha were now completely annihilated, gone without a trace, without having passed their bloodline on. Naruto stared at his hands.   
  
_What I saw last night had to be an illusion. I mean.. how is it even possible for me to have Sharingan? I thought it was a bloodline limit.. I didn't think it was in his chakra._   
__   
Naruto glanced around again. Everyone was dressed in all black, except for the Jounins and Chuunins, who were all standing near the front, with the exception of Iruka. The solemn looks on their faces all almost exactly the same. Naruto looked up at the front, where Tsunade was still speaking to everyone. Naruto was aware he stuck out like a sore thumb. He didn't really have any official funeral clothes like everyone else did. It made him feel even more out of place than usual. His bright, spiky blonde hair didn't help much either.   
  
_Not to mention the fact that I'm the one who killed Sasuke. _He thought miserably, shifting on his feet as he stared at the ground. Iruka looked at him, concerned. Naruto said nothing, but shrugged the man's hand away from his shoulder and turned, stepping out into the aisle and leaving the area. He felt eyes on him the whole way, and ignored them as he quickened his pace until he broke into a run. He dashed past the rows of people dressed in black.   
  
_Have to get away.._   
  
He couldn't stay there. That place only meant pain. The knowledge that he was responsible was surely shared by everyone there. Everyone knew he was a murderer. Everyone knew that he'd killed Sasuke. It was all his fault. He just couldn't stop killing people. The stairs were getting nearer, but just as he was about to race down them, a voice shouted to him.   
  
"Naruto! Naruto, wait!"   
  
Naruto whirled around too quickly. His sandals slid on the wet stone and he felt his ankle twist sharply, pain shooting up his leg. He cried out as he fell backwards, catching glimpses of everyone staring at him as he fell down the stairs.. there was a brief moment of horrible pain as he felt his head connect with the stone steps, his body beginning to slide and topple uncontrollably down them.   
  
Everything went black.   


-------------  
  
Naruto opened his eyes painfully. The first thing he knew was pain.. pain that shot up through his entire body, ending in his head, sending white across his vision. Or maybe that was just the ceiling.. he couldn't tell.   
  
_Waitasec._   
  
_Ceiling?_   
  
Sitting up quickly was a mistake, he could tell as soon as he jerked up. More pain shot through him, and he put a hand to his head, thinking it might split open at any second. The door opened, and Naruto noticed how even sound seemed to affect his injuries. He winced. Shikamaru poked his head through the door.   
  
"Hey, idiot, you alright?" He asked, his tone low and sarcastic as usual.   
  
"It was you who yelled at me, wasn't it?!" Naruto demanded in lieu of a greeting. "You made me slip."   
  
"Y'shouldn't have been running on the slippery stone in the first place, moron." Shikamaru said, half-glaring. "..besides. I wasn't about to let you walk out on Sasuke's funeral. Tch, if I'd known you would've been stupid enough to fall, I would have gone over there and dragged you back myself."   
  
"You could use a little more sympathy for your friend with the _concussion_!" Naruto snapped in reply.   
  
"_You_ could use a little more sympathy for the friend who _died for you._" Shikamaru answered sharply, his eyes narrowing a tad, the devil-may-care attitude dropping.   
  
"No one there was there because they loved him! Not like me!" He glared at his "friend", the anger from the funeral rising up again, a painful ache in his chest. "No one understood him like me!! But who the hell is there to give me their condolences?! I lost more than all those people out ther--"   
  
_Smack!_   
  
Shikamaru slapped Naruto hard across the face and glowered at him furiously.   
  
"How _dare_ you, Naruto! I'm not here to be your goddamn _pity party_, so don't you fucking DARE expect me to drop everything _I_ might be feeling to devote my entire life to you!" He shouted. Naruto drew back, surprised. He'd never seen Shikamaru as anything but.. well, lazy. Even when he was in a fight, he seemed always calm, collected, and.. bored. But now, that expression had changed.   
  
"You want me to be a good friend to you, Uzumaki?" The Nara boy continued, still with narrowed eyes. "You shut the fuck up about how _you_ lost the most. Even if that might be true, the rest of us all still lost part of ourselves with Sasuke. You should be grateful, if anything! He offered his life to save us all, but it _your ass_, mostly, that he did it for. Sasuke wasn't someone to do something without careful consideration beforehand. He did this for the good of the village, and especially for your own sake. The _entire village_ lost Sasuke, not just you. I can't believe you'd be so selfish."   
  
Naruto stared at Shikamaru, finding no words coming to him. He was struck dumb.   
  
_S.. Sasuke.. did this for the good of the village. And here I am, sounding like a little brat, whining like I lost my toy or something.._   
__   
"Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you, Naruto." He sat down next to the blonde, patting him gently on the back, careful to avoid touching any of the bandages. "But seriously, man. It's not like you to be this selfish, I figured I'd better snap you out of it before you go and try and kill yourself again. Really, you're such a troublesome friend to have."   
  
Naruto managed a weak smile. He realized how lucky he was to have the friends he did, even if the closest one was someone as lazy as Shikamaru. How lucky he was that one friend loved him so much that he'd died for Naruto's sake. Naruto felt his heart wrench painfully, and he raised a hand to his chest, wincing as it touched his bruised ribs. It was like his heart had turned to lead, and was sinking down into the pit of his stomach.. it _hurt_, so bad. Shikamaru sighed and reached out, hugging Naruto gently. The blonde winced at the pain, but didn't pull away.   
  
"I know it hurts, Naruto.. I mean, aside from me hugging you." Shikamaru drew back, releasing him. "I know what it's like to love someone, y'know..? Have it all unrequited and whatever." He sighed. Naruto tilted his head curiously.   
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yeah. I've liked Ino for a while.. I thought I told you that." The Nara blinked, and the Uzumaki managed the first laugh he'd been able to cough up since Sasuke's death.   
  
"Nope. You were probably too lazy to." He said, grinning. Shikamaru rolled his eyes, but smiled back.   
  
"Yeah, yeah. But you really are lucky, Naruto. I envy you.. I mean, I figure.. if Sasuke was still alive and all that, you two wouldn't have cared what people thought of you being together, right?"   
  
_If Sasuke was still alive..?_   
  
"Well.. yeah. I never thought about it, I guess." Naruto blinked and shrugged. Shikamaru sighed.   
  
"It's hard getting a girl like Ino to notice you, y'know? I mean.. especially since she obsessed so much over another guy. I didn't stand a chance compared to Sasuke." He chuckled weakly. "Maybe I'll be able to get her to at least acknowledge me as something other than a teammate now."   
  
"Hey, man. Good luck with that." Naruto said, patting his friend on the back. Shikamaru nodded.   
  
"Thanks. Hey, I'll leave you alone now.. I figure you probably need sleep. Sorry about making you fall like that." He rubbed the back of his head and turned to leave the room. Naruto fell back on the pillows, Shikamaru's words still echoing in his head.   
  
_If Sasuke was still alive.._

-----------  
  
Naruto slept a thankfully dreamless sleep that night. When he awoke next, Kakashi was sitting in a chair next to the bed. Naruto stared at him, and Kakashi looked up.   
  
"Good morning, sleeping beauty." He said, teasingly, though Naruto could hear the tiredness in his voice. He'd probably been harried by the other teachers.. all offering their apologies for losing one of his students. One of his only students. Quite possibly the best one.   
  
Naruto sighed. Wow, his thought process wasn't helping much.   
  
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said sullenly. Kakashi tilted his head, reaching over and patting Naruto's head, a habit he _still_ hadn't grown out of, so to speak.   
  
"Still upset, huh? Well, you and I have something in common now.. we both have close friends who have died for the village.." He said. Naruto glanced at him, twitching slightly. That hadn't helped much.   
  
"I know they must've been really close friends to you, Kakashi-sensei, but.. did you ever love any of them?" He asked. Kakashi lowered his eyes, becoming a little more serious.   
  
"Yes.. one of them. His name was Kiyoshi, a great friend of mine." Kakashi gave a soft, almost bitter chuckle. "A great friend until the end. I'd held feelings for him for a while.. and right before he died during a stealth mission, he kissed me and then went ahead before I could say anything."   
  
[ A/N: This is total BS. I'm making up stuff to progress the story. ; I don't think Kakashi ever had a friend named Kiyoshi, and if he did I'm gonna be scared. ]   
  
"Kakashi-sensei.." Naruto murmured, staring. Kakashi smiled at him (as best he could with his mask still on), and reached over, mussing Naruto's hair again.   
  
"That's why I like Iruka.. he reminds me so much of Kiyoshi.. personality-wise, anyway. But, I think the point of me telling you that was that you shouldn't be too sad, Naruto. I know Sasuke wouldn't want you ruining yourself over him. I mean.. he died so you could live, right?" Kakashi winked at him. Well.. sorta, but one eye was covered. "So if you give up on life and die.. or just become depressed for the rest of your life, which is almost the same as dying, maybe worse.. then his sacrifice for you wouldn't have meant anything, right? He left you alive because he loved you, and he wanted you to be able to live your life and fufill all those dreams in your head, despite how crazy some of them sound."   
  
Naruto stared, and again, Kakashi mussed the blonde's hair. "I made a vow to become one of the most powerful Jounin after that mission because I wanted to make sure that nothing happened to my fellow ninjas. I wanted to be sure that Kiyoshi would know the village he'd died helping to save would be safe in the hands of the person he loved and cared about. Now, the question is, Naruto.. can you do the same for Sasuke?"   
  
Naruto found himself speechless. His mind had barely registered everything Kakashi had just told him, though he knew it was all perfectly true, and made total sense. Sasuke had died to keep him alive.. and he'd almost killed himself right after. That would have made Sasuke's sacrifice worth nothing. He really had been selfish.   
  
_I have to change that._   
  
He threw himself into his sensei's arms, hugging Kakashi tightly. The Jounin smiled and patted Naruto on the back.   
  
"Recover fast, then. I tell you what, I'll personally start helping you and Sakura train up once you get better."   
  
"Right!" Naruto grinned widely, and Kakashi nodded to him and left the room. Naruto leaned back onto the pillows, staring up at the ceiling and smiling.   
  
_I'll become the greatest ninja in the world. I'll make sure Sasuke's sacrifice for me is known throughout once I become Hokage.. and then, Sasuke, I know you can be proud of me.. and we won't have to regret anything._   


---------

  
  
Kakashi blinked as he closed the door behind him, looking up at the figure that was standing only two feet in front of him.   
  
"Did.. you mean that?" Iruka asked, shifting on his feet. Kakashi blinked again.   
  
"How long have you--"   
  
"Long enough." Iruka interrupted, shifting again, nervously, a blush painting his face. Kakashi smiled inwardly.. Iruka really was cute when he blushed like that. The flustered Chuunin quickly tried to explain himself.   
  
"I.. I.. I came out here to check on Naruto, you know.. I was worried, and I couldn't get away from my duties for a while, so.. so.. and when I got here, you were already inside, so I waited, and.. I heard everything you told him. I don't think I can do much better than that, so--"   
  
"Hey, I get it." Kakashi said, smiling. Iruka looked up, giving a quiet smile in return, though he was still blushing furiously. Shaking his head, Kakashi wrapped an arm around the Chuunin's waist and began dragging him down the hallway.   
  
"Let's go get some food."   
  
"B-but! What about Naruto..?"   
  
"He'll be okay. He still has some thinking to do. You can come see him tomorrow."   
  
"A.. are you sure he'll be okay?"   
  
"Positive."   
  
**To Be Continued..**   
  
One more chapter and I'm puttin' this thing to rest. Sorry for slow update-age. ;;;   
  
TAB 


	6. Yarrow, Healing

****  
**Forget Me Not**   
**By The Ambitious Blank**   
****   
**Disclaimer**- Naruto, for the last and final time in this fic, is not mine.   
**Comments**- Theoretically, I _should_ be working on "Linked" at the moment. Key word there being "should". n.n; But I am not.. I wanted to finish this one up.. all questions should be answered in this chapter, I hope. It's done to translated lyrics of "Open Up Your Mind", by Mirai, from Gensoumaden Saiyuki. Translation was taken from the version on animelyrics.com. It's also slightly shortened.  
  
Gah, there were so many good flowers I could use for this chapter! x.X; Oh, and yes, I know a tiny bit about Kakashi's Uchiha friend.. but I really didn't want to use him as an example, 'cause I don't think it would have worked as well. So I made someone up. x.x; Oh, and because FF.net is retarded and is still not letting me use my chapter seperators anymore, or the little symbols for when the voice speaks to Naruto.. I have to replace them with dashes. Forgive me, please. Xx;  
  
Sorry for the delay.. I've been rushing around trying to prepare my female!Sasuke costume for FanimeCon in San Jose, California. If any of you are already going, try and find me! I'm in a group with a female Naruto (who is LittleDarkOne.. I'm sure a lot of you know her..), a Gaara (who is The Carpet Shampoo.. again, I'm sure a lot of you know her, too.), and a Sheik and Link from the Zelda games. Hope to see some of you there!   
  
**---Chapter 6- Yarrow, "Healing"**   
__   
_Even when it seems that nothing can go right  
and you want to just give up,  
if you close your eyes,  
you can see the world from your heart._   
__   
-----  
  
Naruto awoke and stretched, looking around the still slightly-unfamiliar surroundings of Sasuke's room. He still had that strange feeling of safety and comfort within him whenever he was in this room, which he deemed as Sasuke's chakra's doing. Everything in here was so familiar. It was like a continuing sense of deja-vu.. he knew where almost everything was without having to think too hard about it. He even "recognized" things, and knew vague things about them.   
  
For example, that small stuffed dragon in the corner used to be Sasuke's when he was a little kid. His mother had given it to him, and for a long time, he wouldn't part with it, except maybe to take a bath or something. Then, Itachi told him to grow up one day, and he'd put it on his shelf. But "Ryuu-chan", as the stuffed toy was so called, always held that special place in Sasuke's heart. If the Uchiha ever came home from a hard day, disheartened from a mission or some such thing, he would go to sleep, clutching Ryuu-chain tightly in his arms. Even after Sasuke had seemingly lost his heart, gilded it with ice as hard as diamonds, nearly unbreakable, Ryuu-chan was a source of comfort.   
  
Sighing, Naruto reached up and stroked the dragon's slightly matted fur. It was worn with age, but still managed a cheerful sparkle in it's eyes.   
  
--I miss Ryuu-chan..--  
  
Naruto froze and looked around.   
  
"Who is it?! Who's there?! Dammit, answer me!" He shouted, his eyes shifting quickly about the room.   
  
--Shut up, stupid.-- The voice spoke teasingly, almost. --If anyone comes in they're bound to think you're crazy.--  
  
"..wh.. what the hell..?" Naruto put a hand to his forehead, feeling strangely dizzy. He looked to a mirror in the corner of the room. Only his reflection stared back at him, equally confused. He flinched then, seeing a strange, sort of smoky shape behind him. He turned, and there was nothing.. he quickly looked back toward the mirror. The shape was taking form.   
  
--Technically, I'm a figment of your imagination, but we'll just ignore that for now.--  
  
Dark hair, dark eyes, and a sort of arrogant smirk plastered over his face.. there was no mistaking it.

-------

_In this world when life can be so tough,  
You must be strong.  
Just believe in yourself and don't you fear.  
So open up your mind and close your eyes,  
Take another look from the other side..._

_------_

"Sasuke..?" Naruto asked, slowly, afraid to believe it. He stood up and moved closer to the mirror. Sasuke nodded solemnly.   
  
--Yeah, in a way.. it's kinda hard to explain. Half of what you're seeing is your own imagination. But, my chakra allows me to speak to you as a dead ghost, sort of.--  
  
"So.. you can talk to me because I have your chakra and because I can imagine you so well?" Naruto asked, somewhat confused. Sasuke just sighed and shook his head.   
  
--Pretty much. I won't bother going into details, it gets pretty damn complicated. Your thick head wouldn't be able to understand.-- Again, that gentle, teasing tone. Naruto stared.   
  
"It's not like you to be so.. so.. uppity." He said, blinking. Sasuke snickered.   
  
--Well, y'know.. a ton of weight gets lifted when you die, right? Provided you were a generally good person. So I guess I feel.. better, if you wanna put it that way.-- He smiled and reached over, resting a hand on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto felt nothing.   
  
"I.. well.. then.. why is it I have your Sharingan? That one night, I.. I know I heard you, and then I looked in the mirror and.. I thought it was an illusion."   
  
--Really, are you getting dumber? The boy asked with a snort. Apparently, the _kekkei genkai_ isn't really a bloodline limit.. so much as it is a chakra _genkai. _I guess since the genetics for what chakra and what abilities you have are coded in your blood, that's what they mean by a bloodline limit.--  
  
Naruto stared. His head hurt a little. Sasuke sighed and shook his head.   
  
--Nevermind, then.--  
  
"So.. why have you been talking to me like this..?" Naruto asked. "Don't you have like.. some afterlife to be getting to, or something?" He watched the reflection. Sasuke's face grew considerably more somber.   
  
--That's just the thing, Naruto. I can't.. not until you let me go.--  
  
"What..?" Naruto blinked, confused.   
  
--You have to accept the fact that I'm gone. You and everyone else. Otherwise, I'm trapped here.. eventually, I'll fade, and there'll be nothing left of me, except what's inside you.-- Sasuke's arms wrapped around Naruto's shoulders, his hand brushing over Naruto's heart. Still, Naruto felt nothing there.   
  
--Memories are nice, but they're not enough. I haven't asked you for much in my life, Naruto.. at least, I hope I haven't. But I need you to do this one favor for me.. I promise, we can see each other again, but.. you have to get them to let me go.. and you have to, too. I need to pass on, I can't stay here.-- He said, softly. --Forgive me.-- His eyes lowered. Naruto stared for a few long moments, and then spoke.   
  
"I guess.. I understand. And when I die I can see you again, right?" He asked, hopefully. Sasuke gave a half-smile and nodded.   
  
--I wouldn't be thinking about that just yet. But.. Sakura needs your help, especially.. Ino's coping alright, so is everyone else.. but it's mainly her. So.. help her, you know? See what you can do.--  
  
"Alright." Naruto nodded, and Sasuke flashed him a smile before vanishing. Naruto laid back onto the covers and fell back into a more peaceful sleep, despite the persisting sense of loneliness that had suddenly filled the room.

---------  
  
_Even on a lonely night, when you wander afraid,  
you may be alone now, but_   
_your feet can take you however far you want to go, so..._   
  
_Just hold on tight, because if you close your eyes,  
look inside yourself, there's a shining light there.  
Yes, I want you to believe in everything.  
You can take another look from the other side..._   
__   
------  
  
When the Uzumaki next awoke, sunlight was streaming in through Sasuke's window-- the first sun they'd seen for a few days now. It brought a faint smile to his face. Today would be a good day for training, and he'd be one step closer to the goals he'd set for himself. A fist clenched in determination, and he jumped off the bed, throwing on his clothes and heading out into the bright light of the sunrise.   
  
_Okay.. I'll train for a few hours, then I'll go and start helping Sasuke! _It seemed like a perfectly good plan. He raced through the silent village, the sunlight staining all the buildings orange and red. Naruto kept running. Something drove him through and past the training grounds, through the forest. He kept running.. something guided him, through the trees, until Naruto stopped dead in his tracks.   
  
--This is where I used to come when I wanted to be alone.--  
  
A huge field of flowers. Thousands of them, it seemed. Everytime there was even the slightest breeze, petals rose up from all over, swirling around Naruto as he stepped into the field. It was exactly like his dream.. and as he looked around, he gasped. The red sunlight streaming over the flowers colored them all the deep shade of blood. Suppressing a wave of dizziness, he looked for the tree in the middle of the field. Once he'd spotted it, he struggled towards it, trying not to fall over. Eventually, he broke into a run, finally collapsing at the base of the tree. The bloodied world swirled around him, and when he was just about to pass out, he felt a pair of warm, strong arms wrap around him. They vanished almost as quickly as they had appeared, but the dizziness faded, the feeling of nausea receded. He glanced about him.. the sun was up a little further now, and the flowers were colored more of an orange-yellow than the blood red they'd been before. Naruto sighed.   
  
"..Naruto? What are you doing out here..?"   
  
_Sakura??_ The Uzumaki's eyes shot up. Everything suddenly became much clearer and easier to focus on, Sakura gasped, backing away.   
  
"The.. the Sharingan.." She choked out. Naruto blinked.   
  
_Crap.. must've been some reaction to my panicking or something.._ He thought, and calmed himself. The Sharingan vanished, and Sakura could only stare at him, speechless. Finally, she sighed, shoulders slumping.   
  
"It makes sense. I guess.. I guess I didn't want to believe it, you know?" She sat down next to Naruto, who blinked. She gave him a weak smile, then continued.   
  
"..I didn't want to believe Sasuke-kun was a part of you. I didn't want to see him in you. I.. I used to hate you, Naruto. But.. after everything we've been through, I've grown to like you a little. I mean.. not like I liked Sasuke-kun, of course, but.. I got to know you a little better. It's just that I've always loved Sasuke since I was a little kid, and even though I like you as a friend and all that, it just wasn't the same. I didn't want to believe that the one I loved gave up his life for someone he barely seemed to care about. I.. uh.. I guess I was wrong, huh?" She smiled weakly, pulling her knees up to her chest. Naruto stared at her, lowering his own eyes.   
  
"I.. I'm sorry, Sakura-chan.. I didn't mean to--"   
  
"I know, stop. I'm not blaming this on you.. I thought I could, but I can't." She shook her head, reaching over and giving his shoulder a light squeeze. She looked around, taking in the scenery. The sun was rising even higher now, and everything was starting to turn it's normal color. She smiled. "This was Sasuke-kun's favorite spot.. I remember, Ino and I managed to follow him here once." Pausing at the puzzled look on Naruto's face, she sighed.   
  
"I'm sorry.. for everything I said before. I was so angry.. I didn't mean any of it. I just.. I guess I wanted someone to take my anger out on.. and you just happened to step in the way." She smiled again. "..but.. I am glad that Sasuke-kun gave his life to someone he loved. I think.. I think I might be able to get over it now.. Ino's been helping me through all of it. Naruto, I hope you can forgive me for what I did to you, and that we can be friends again.. and thanks, for hearing me out." She reached over and hugged him, then stood up.   
  
"I'd.. better go now. I promised Ino I'd help her open up the flower shop." She said, smiling. Naruto, still somewhat stunned by all he'd just been told, broke out of his reverie and nodded, smiling and waving to her. She turned and walked away through the flowers. Naruto smiled and sighed, leaning back against the tree.   
  
"..well, Sasuke.. I think that's everyone. We've all managed to let you go.. so I hope you went on in peace. I'll see you soon."   
  
There was no answer except a flutter of flower petals as a warm breeze washed over them.   
  
-------  
  
_The stars may live for a long time,   
b__ut that doesn't mean that the same days   
will repeat over and over forever.   
No one can see into tomorrow.___   
  
---------  
  
Naruto smiled, watching the birds flutter past the window. One of them turned around and perched upon the windowsill, chirping at him merrily. Naruto grinned and stroked it's head, blinking and turning as the door behind him opened.

"I'm back, Hokage-sama!" Naruto rolled his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you, Hinata.. you don't have to call me Hokage-sama. I'm your husband!" He smiled at her. She blushed brightly.

"Sorry, I just.. umm.. well, it's habit. Anyway, I brought Sasuke back." She gently nudged in a small boy. His eyes were bright blue, his long, ebony bangs falling to either side of his face, a shy look on his face. Naruto grinned.

"Hey, Sasuke!" He said, kneeling down before his son, ruffling his hair and earning a miffed look from the small boy. "..how was school?" Immediately, the boy lost his shyness and broke into a huge grin.

"Iruka-sensei told me I was the smartest kid EVER!" He said, beaming. "He said.. he said I was even smarter than umm.. Uchiha Sasuke! Yeah, that guy I was named after!" He cried, obviously extremely proud of himself. Hinata smiled nervously.

"C'mon, Sasuke, we're gonna go get you a change of clothes so you can go play."

"Okay!" The boy cried cheerfully, running over and hugging Naruto tightly. "Bye, Daddy!"

"See you later, Sasuke." Naruto said, smiling as he watched his son dash for the door. Hinata gave him a shy smile and then followed after the child. Naruto looked back out the window, a smile breaking over his face again.

_Someday, I'll tell him all about you, Sasuke.___

--------

_Just hold on tight, even if your heart is breaking.   
Reach into your soul, even if you can't see tomorrow.   
Yes, there's another world out there.   
You can take another look from the other side,   
until you find all that is love..._

_**----Fin.  
  
**_So..? How was it? Good, I hope.. and I hope all your questions were answered. Sorry for the NaruHina at the end.. I wanted Naruto to have a kid. n.n;;; Anyway, I hope I can see and meet some of you at Fanime. Until then, see you later! Hope you enjoyed the fic.   
  
--TAB


End file.
